Tanda impresses in stakes-record time in Santa Paula

Tanda looks like a rising star (Benoit Photos) Perhaps because Tommy Hutton’s Dream Stable’s TANDA (Sweetsouthernsaint) had spent most of her brief career on turf, she was dispatched as the nearly 6-1 outsider in the scratch-reduced field of five in Sunday’s $100,000 Santa Paula S. (G3). That turned out to be a generous overlay, for the Dan Hendricks sophomore relished the switch to Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride. After slipping through along the inside, Tanda drew off by 4 1/4 lengths while rattling off 6 1/2 furlongs in a stakes-record 1:14.36. She eclipsed the old mark of 1:14.61 set by Magnificience in 2007. Reserved in fourth early by regular rider Alex Solis, Tanda tracked the fast pace established by Crisis of Spirit (Vindication) through fractions of :21 4/5 and :44 1/5. Crisis of Spirit continued to hold sway when accosted by 2-1 favorite Sister Dawn (Indian Charlie), but Tanda was just commencing her rail-skimming move. Bursting through to take the lead, Tanda stamped her authority on the race and rewarded her backers with mutuels of $13.80, $5.20 and $2.60. “The way she won today, against this type of competition is amazing,” Solis said. “I know there were only five horses, but they were very good horses. She won very easy and she came back like she didn’t even run. I know she’s been running on the grass, but in my opinion, she would be able to adapt to the surface. She’s a very classy filly.”

La Nez (Storm Creek), last seen finishing third to Kentucky Derby (G1)
candidates Caracortado (Cat Dreams) and Alphie’s Bet (Tribal Rule) in the
California Breeders’ Champion S., bided her time at the tail of the group before
taking the overland route into the stretch. The 5-2 second choice rallied for
second, catching Sister Dawn by a neck and returning $3.80 and $2.60.

Sister Dawn gave back $2.60 to show for finishing 1 1/2 lengths ahead of
Crisis of Spirit. The $1 exotics were good for $25.90 (exacta), $71.20 (trifecta)
and $157.50 (2-7-5-3 superfecta). Church Camp (Forest Camp), who had chased
Crisis of Spirit early, faded to last of the quintet. Five Silver Stars (Five
Star Day) and Seriously (Gulch) were withdrawn.

Tanda’s only prior synthetic attempt came in her career debut in December,
and even that wasn’t by design. The six-furlong maiden was transferred from the
Hollywood Park turf to the Cushion Track, where she was fifth with a bit of
trouble. Tanda spent her three subsequent starts enjoying Santa Anita’s downhill
turf course. A 3 1/2-length maiden winner on January 3, the bay finished second
to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up Rose Catherine (Speightstown)
in the January 24 Sweet Life S. Tanda reverted to allowance/optional claiming
company last time out on March 5, driving to a 1 1/4-length decision. Her Santa
Paula success advanced her line to 5-3-1-0 and nearly doubled her bankroll to
$127,710.

Hendricks was asked about the turf-to-synthetic move.

“I just wasn’t sure (how she would handle it), because I always watched her
work before she ever ran on turf, so I was just a little worried about switching
to another surface,” the trainer said. “But now all those worries are gone, and
I’m just thankful that David Ingordo bought her at the (OBS April two-year-old) sale (for
$145,000). He did a super job finding her out of a thousand horses.

“I owe it all to him and the owner, Bob (Hutton). He was very patient. He
told me from the beginning, ‘You don’t have to rush her.’ David took her from
the sale, let her down and trained her back up lightly, sent her to me, and I
got her up to some breezes before I got her to Del Mar, but I told Bob, ‘She’s
just not right. She’s just not ready to go on further.’ I didn’t breeze her
until the end of Del Mar, and it was the key to her. I think she’ll go on, off
of this race, and I’m not worried about surface or distance now.”

Bred by Kristine L. Mitchell in Florida, Tanda was produced by the unraced
Dr. Caton mare Doc’s Stormy Girl, making her a half-sister to stakes winner
Leigh McLovin (Flame Thrower), a yearling filly named Royal Stimulus (Repent)
and a 2010 filly by Van Nistelrooy. She hails from the family of Countus In
(Dancing Count), queen of the 1990 Matriarch S. (G1).